1500 русских и 1500 английских идиом, фразеологизмов и устойчивых словосочетаний

трещать по швам

to come/fall apart at the seams

It seems that the whole arrangement is just coming apart at the seams.

трогать пальцем (кого-л.)

to lay a finger on someone

If you lay a finger on her, you will regret it.

тронуться умом

to be/go out of one’s mind; to lose one’s marbles

You paid so much money for that heap of junk? Are you out of your mind?

I may seem old to you young people, but I haven’t lost my marbles yet.

турусы на колесах

a cock-and-bull story

She told me a cock-and-bull story about having to work late.

тыкать носом (кого-л.)

to rub someone’s nose in it

Please stop talking about that letter. I feel bad enough already without you rubbing my nose in it all the time.

тютелька в тютельку

to a T; to the letter

That new dress suits you to a T.

I followed the instructions to the letter, and it still doesn’t work.

тянуть кота за хвост

to beat about the bush; to hum and haw, to um and aah

Come on, don’t beat about the bush and tell me what you want.

She hummed and hawed for months before actually deciding to buy a new car.

My sister always ums and aahs before taking a decision.

у черта на куличках

in the middle of nowhere; in the back of beyond

His parents lived in a village in the middle of nowhere.

I felt as if I was in the back of beyond, yet it was only two minutes drive to the motorway.

убивать время

to kill time

The train was late, so I read a newspaper to kill time.

убивать двух зайцев

to kill two birds with one stone

You can kill two birds with one stone by working and studying at the same time.

ударять в голову (кому-л.)

to go to someone’s head

He was tired and the wine he had drunk was going to his head.

указывать на дверь (кому-л.)

to show someone the door

He was rude to my wife and I simply showed him the door.

улыбаться во весь рот

to smile from ear to ear

‘I’m so happy to see you,’ she said smiling from ear to ear.

умывать руки

to wash one’s hands of someone/something

The boy is self-willed and unruly. From now on I wash my hands of him.

уничтожать в зародыше (что-л.)

to nip something in the bud

Cannabis cultivation is an increasing problem which must be nipped in the bud.

упрямый как осел

(as) stubborn as a mule

Diana will never change her mind – she is as stubborn as a mule.

упускать из виду (что-л.)

to lose sight of something

He always loses sight of the important things.

уступать место (чему-л.)

to give way to something

Summer gave way to autumn.

утереть нос (кому-л.)

to be one up on someone ; to get the better of someone

She was delighted with her new dress. She likes to be one up on her friends.

He was always letting somebody get the better of him when it came to business deals.

утечка мозгов

brain drain

Britain suffered a brain drain because wages in America were so much higher.

утопать в роскоши

live in the lap of luxury

When we were in France we stayed in a hotel living in the lap of luxury.

Фома неверующий a doubting Thomas

хвататься за соломинку

to clutch at straws

The poor man is hoping that this new treatment will help his wife, but I think he’s simply clutching at straws.

хватить через край

to lay it on thick

Tom is the best singer I’ve ever heard. – Don’t exaggerate, you’re laying it on rather thick.

хлеб насущный

one’s bread and butter

I can’t afford to give up my research. It’s my bread and butter.

ходить вокруг да около

to beat about the bush

Stop beating about the bush. What are you trying to say?

ходить на задних лапках (перед кем-л.)

to bow and scrape (to someone )

I can’t stand the way you bow and scrape to your uncle the whole time.